After more than 10 years of weekly fake tanning, Iām slowly learning to love my skin without it. Itās a topic many with white privilege avoid discussing, especially knowing that so many people of colour face real discrimination because of their skin.
The Australian beauty standard is set so high that even as a blonde white person, Iām conditioned to think I need to change my skin to fit in. And maybe if we all didnāt feel that way, Australia wouldnāt have the highest rates of melanoma in the world.
It might not seem like a big deal to some, but to the girls (& guys) who understand, your skin is beautiful the way it is.
Donāt let my story become your familyās story. Two in three Australians will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, and if you havenāt been affected yet, the statistics say you likely will.
When I was 13, I had my first mole removed from my chest, leaving a permanent scar as a reminder to get an annual skin check.
At 15, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma.
At 19, I had three more suspicious, changing moles removed, leaving a 5cm scar on my face. But Iām one of the lucky ones, my results came back clear. Thanks to my skin check, I caught them early.
At 21, I lost my dad to skin cancer. If he had access to the same education I did at my age, he might still be here.
Can you believe Australiaās most common cancer (one that kills more of us than road accidents) is almost entirely preventable? And now itās being heavily promoted by the younger generation online.
Itās time we reshape the narrative and make sun safety cool. Being sun smart and getting annual skin checks is IN.
Thank you to @abcnews_au , @cancercouncil , and @laura.henshaw for sharing this important message ā¤ļø
Why touch a formula that already works? I got shadematched at @myer to find out. Donāt miss the Gift With Purchase, available until March 15. #esteelauder #doublewear #myer #foundation #ad @esteelauderanz
